Question 1

Why is there no translation for "some" or "a" after Qué?

Accepted Answer

In Spanish, when exclaiming "What a...!" or "What...!" using Qué followed by a noun, you never use an indefinite article (un, una, unos, unas). You simply put Qué directly before the adjective or noun, as seen in ¡Qué malos modales! (What bad manners!) or ¡Qué lástima! (What a pity!).

Question 2

Is modales always plural when talking about manners?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when referring to someone's social behavior or etiquette (manners), you always use the plural modales. The singular form, modal, is generally reserved for grammar (like a modal verb) or other technical uses.

Question 3

How exactly does ni siquiera work here?

Accepted Answer

Ni siquiera translates to "not even". Because it is placed before the verb in this sentence (Ni siquiera ha saludado), it makes the sentence negative on its own, so you don't need to add no. If you wanted to put it after the verb, you would need a double negative: No ha saludado ni siquiera.

Question 4

Why translate "said hello" as saludado instead of using the verb decir (to say)?

Accepted Answer

While English uses the phrase "to say hello," Spanish typically uses the single verb saludar (to greet). Translating it literally as ha dicho hola sounds unnatural in this context.

Question 5

Why use the present perfect (ha saludado) instead of the simple past (saludó)?

Accepted Answer

In Spain, the present perfect (pretérito perfecto compuesto) is heavily used for actions that happened very recently or in a time frame that feels connected to the present. Since the person's arrival and failure to say hello just happened, a speaker in Spain naturally chooses ha saludado over the simple past.

¡Qué malos modales! Ni siquiera ha saludado.

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